Peters



(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. H. YOUNG.

APPARATUS FOR IMPREGNATING WOOD.

No. 329,799. Patented Nov. 3, 1885.

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(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. H. YOUNG.

APPARATUS FOR IMPREGNATING WOOD. No. 329,799. Patented Nov. 3, 18.85.

VVITNEEEEE INVENTEIR (No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 3.

J. H. YOUNG.

APPARATUS FOR IMPREGNATING W001).- No. 329,799. Patented Nov. 3, 1885.

WITNESSES INVENTDR (N0 Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 4.

J. H. YOUNG.

APPARATUS FOR IMPRBGNATING WOOD. No. 329,799. Patented Nov. 3. 1885.

WITNEEEES 6% Q INVENTEIR M ELWAZ.

N PETERS. Pnalomhu n hur. Was'limzlon. D. C.

(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 5.

J. H. YOUNG.

APPARATUS FOR IMPREGNATING WOOD.

No. 329,799. Patented Nov. 9, 1885.

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APPARATUS FOR IMPREGNATING WOOD. No. 329,799. r Patented Nov. 3, 1885.

WITNESSEEY INVENTDR Mrs A STATE s FFlQEQ PATENT JAMES H. YOUNG, OF NEWYORK, N. Y.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 329,799, dated November3, 1885.

Application filed December 29, 1884. Serial No. 151,393. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. YOUNG, of New York, in the county and Stateof New York, a citizen of the United States, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Ma chinery for the Preparation and Treatment ofTimber with Antiseptics, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawlngs.

This invention is designed for the preparation of wood to receiveantiseptics, and for the application of antiseptics to the wood soprepared. It is well known that if the sap be removed from timber andits place supplied by antiseptics a considerable improvement in thedurability of timber can be made. Among the processes which have beendevised for this purpose one, very satisfactory, upon the whole, hasbeen that which was patented March 30, 1869, in Letters Patent No.88,392, to Charles Karmrodt and Nicholas Thilmany, which is called theThilmany process. This consisted, as described in the patent, of threesteps: first, the removal of the sap by a water treatment; second, thesaturation of the wood with a solution of chloride of barium, and,third, a subsequent saturation with sulphate of copper. The process ofdriving the water and solutions into the timber, as described in thepatent, was by gravity and absorption through the ends of the logs. Nomachinery was described for performing the work; and it is obvious thatimpregnation of timberin the man: ner described in said patent would bea tedious and difficult process. In order to perform the work in a largeway upon logs of timber, it

was desirable to have machinery adapted for I this purpose; and as itwas intended to handle large weights of timber, it was desirable to dothis work by power. It has also been found, in the interval betweenThilmanys invention and the present time, that the use of heat andpressure will improve and accel erate the work; and so it has beencommon to use, for the purpose of impregnating timber, either by this orother processes, large steaming-cylinders to which pressure can beapplied.

Inasmuch as sulphate of copper is used in this process, it ispractically essential that the cylinder to be employed shall be a coppercylinder, and that the pumps and pipes shall be copper or bronze to avery large degree; but copper is a metal so susceptible to the action ofheat that if the steaming of timber is conducted in the ordinary way ina large cylinder of copper-that is, if thesteam is admitted only at onepointthe copper cylinder will expand on one side so much more than onthe other side as to be speedily injured by the working of thejoints.

One part of this invention relates to a means of preventing this action.Another part of the invention relates to the arrangement for handlinginto and out of the cylinder the heavy loads of timber that are to betreated. Another part relates to the arrangements adopted for mountingthe cylinder, so that the sap and material used for impregnation can bereadily introduced and removed. Another part relates to the machineryand method of applying pressure to the cylinder. Another part relates tothe general arrangement and combination of the machinery in a compactform for the purpose of accomplishing the desired result.

In the drawings an apparatus and portions of an apparatus for treatingtimber nearly one hundred feet long are represented. The cylinderissupposed to be a copper cylinder.

Figure 1 is a plan view, on about the scale of a twelfth of an inch to afoot, of the entire apparatus. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of theapparatus. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the apparatus upon a scalethree times as large as that adopted for Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 is atransverse section of the cylinder, on a still larger scale, on the linea: x of Fig. 1, showing certain pipes and connections in elevation. Fig.5 is a transverse section showing the impregnating-cylinder and thetimber-car used therein near the front end of the cylinder, andillustrating the means employed to lock the car down and steady it inthe cylinder during the progress of impregnation. Fig. 6 is a verticalsection of the backend of the cylinder, showing the'timber-cars inposition, and illustrating the means adopted to lock the cars togetherand lock them down at the back end, and also the construction of thecylinder at the back end for the purpose of allowing Fig. 7 is a thecars to be drawn in by power.

horizontal section at the back end of the impregnating-cylinder, with anunloaded car in place. Fig. 8 is a side elevation of theimpregnating-cylinder and the pressure-pumps employed with the gages andattachments, and this view is taken from a position at or near the point3 on the .plan view Fig. 1.

The views Figs. 1 and 2 are on a scale of about one-twelfth of an inchto the foot of the large apparatus, and Fig. 3 about a quarter of aninch to the foot of the large apparatus, while the views in Figs. 4, 5,6, 7, and 8 are on a scale of about half an inch to a foot.

Like letters indicate like parts in all the figures.

In describing the apparatus and the relation of the parts to each otherit will be best to give a description at the same time of the relationof the apparatus to the process performed by it. In order that thecylinder may be properly inspected, it is mounted over a pit, (shown atA, Figs. 2 and 3,) which pit, at or about the place of the section-linex w, is made considerably wider than it is at other points, as shown inFigs. 3 and 4 at B. In this enlarged portion of the pit, which extendsfor about the distance shown in Fig. 2 between the points b b, areplaced the principal parts of the piping which form the outside lowerconnections with the interior of the steaming-cylinder. These are calledthe lower dome. The cylinder is properly mounted and set over the pit,and is marked in the drawings 0 0, Figs. 1 and 2. This cylinder isriveted up in substantially the same way that a cylindrical steam-boileris riveted up, and at its front end, 0, there is a door that can besecurely packed and tightly fastened. Through this door the timber is tobe introduced. cover.

The railroad-track (marked D) extends up to the front end of thecylinder, and on this track the cars stand while receiving their load oftimber, and over it they are rolled up to the door of the cylinder. Acontinuation of this track extends into the cylinder for substantiallyits whole length, as shown at d d, Figs. 4, 5, and 6. The cars which areemployed to carry in the timber are of comparatively short lengths abouteight feetas shown in Fig. 6. They are made with longitudinal timbers,between which the' wheels are adapted to'revolve, which timbers aremarked E E. Transverse timbers e e bind these longitudinal timberstogether on each side of the wheels, above and below the longitudinaltimbers. Metallic hoops at the ends of each car, substantiallyconforming in shape to the interior of the cylinder, are made fast tothe transverse timbers e of the car, and serve to hold the timbers downto the car. These hoops are marked in the drawings, Figs. 4 and 5, e.Between the longitudinal timbers E, which form the'bed of the car, atthe part of the car which is to be the back end, are placed projectingspurs, (marked E.) These spurs in. the car that is run to the back endof the cylinder look under a transverse beam, F, which thus serves toone end ofwhich S-hooks is adapted to hook into the top of thelongitudinal timber E and the other end to go under the lateralprojection of the rail-head upon its outer side.

These S-hooksf, if desired, can be applied to the front end of each car;but it is not usually desirable to do it. By this system of locking carsto the cylinder the cars themselves are prevented from flotation whenthe cylinder is full of the impregnating-fluids, and the'bands or hoopse, fastened to the car and going over the timber, prevent the timberfrom being displaced on the car in the cylinder by similar flotation. Ialso block the timber away from the cylinder by wedges inserted afterthe cars are in place. In order tov draw the cars into the cylinder, atthe back end is made a manhole. (Shown at F in Figs. 6 and 7.) Throughthis man-hole, when it is required to draw a train of cars into thecylinder, is passed a rope, g, which rope is shown in plan in Figs. 1and 7, and in elevation in Fig. 6, and which leads to the steam-winch G,by means of which the timber-loaded cars are drawn into the cylinder,and when drawn in the rope g is detached from the back end of the train,and the man-hole F is packed by its pregnatingsolutions and for steamingthe wood. This boiler is shown in Fig. 3. Steampipes s are led from theboiler, with branches to the steam-pumps I andK, Fig. 1, for the purposeof supplying the pumps with the steam necessary to work them. One ofthese pumps, I, is a liquid-pump, and the other, K, an air-pump, andthese pumps are connected with the two domes of the cylinder-the airpumpto the upper dome (represented at L, Fig. 2) and the liquid-pump I tothe lower dome, M, Fig. 3and other branch steampipes 5 lead to the tanks0 and P and 0 p, for the purpose of heating the liquids thereincontained, one of which is to be chloride of barium and the othersulphate of copper. Still other branches of the steam-pipes 8 lead tothe domes L and M. Each branch is controlled by a valve, 8'. Theair-pump K can be used both as an exhaust-pump and as an air-pressurepump. The steam-connection through the lower dome, M, with the interiorof the cylinder 0 G is not for the admission of free steam directly intothe cylinder at that place, but it admits steam into the perforated pipeshown at 71, Figs. 4, 6, and 7, which runs through about two-thirds ofthe length As an essential part of this apparatus, there is asteam-boiler, H, for heating the imand particularly through the lowerdome to the steam-pipe h, which lies along nearly the whole length ofthe central part of the cylinder, the steam, striking against the shellof the boiler, will expand it, and, following up the sides, willcontinue to expand it, so't-hat the cylinder will be comparativelyequally expanded on all sides at once. In letting on steam, it shouldfirst be admitted through the lower dome. Of course, the'mounting of thecylinder over the pit must be suchmounting as will allow the cylinder tomove a short distance at each end in consequence of this eX- pansion,which begins at the center and is propagated toward each end. Thecylinder having been loaded with timber, run in on the cars, andcarefully locked up, the wood is first thoroughly steamed, and bysteaming the soluble matters and the sap are dissolved in the steam andhot water so introduced. The pressure of the steam in the boiler may beobserved,when desired,by one of the gages m m, one of which gages is apressure-gage and the other a vacuum-gage. On'the same connection withthese gages m m is mounted a thermometer,m,serving to mark thetemperature. The bulb of this thermometer dips into the cavity of thecylinder. I prefer to use the ordinary mercury-thermometer at thisplace, because of the likelihood of a thermometer of the pressure-gagesort giving disproportionate results, on account of the alternatingpressures and exhaustions that are applied to the interior of thecylinder. \Vhen the wood has been steamed sufficiently long, whichwillvary according to the character and quality of the wood operated on,and which is judged of by the operator, usually a period of three to sixhours, (more or less,) the water of condensation and sap are drawn offinto the pit through the waste-cock n at the bottom of the lowersteam-dome. (See Fig. 2.) \Vhen all the sap and water of condensationthat will run out by gravity have been removed, the waste-cock a isclosed and the air-pump K set to work to create a vacuum in thesteam-cylinder, and thereby remove from the wood a still furtherquantity of sap,which,in its turn,is allowed to run to waste in the pit.

On reference to the patent already referred to it will be seen that theimpregnation of wood was directed to proceed in the order of, first,applying the solution of chloride of barium, and, secondly, the solutionof sulphate of copper. I prefer a different order, and am ofopinion,fron1 experience, that it is betterto introduce thesulphate-ofcopper solution first. In order to do this,crystals ofsulphate of copper are dissolved in the tank 0, and crysheat of about100 Fahrenheit.

cylinder through the pipes op,which lead to the lower dome, M, and aregoverned by two stopvalves each, 0 0219 9 between the bottom of the tankand the lower dome. Between each pair of these two stop-cocks, 0 0, p pis placed a waste-cock, it, having on it a coupling to connecta hose, ato the returnpipe nifor return of the impregnating-liquids to theirtanks.

From the sulphate-of copper-tank O,in additionto the pipe 0, which leadsto the lower dome, there is another and smaller pipe, w, (shown in plan,Fig. 1,)which leads to the force-pump I, by means of which, after thecylinder has been filled as full as it can by gravity, furtherquantities of solution may be pumpedin to put pressure upon the interiorof the cylinder. This steam-pump,being practically auton1atic,and havingits speed regulated by the resistance of the work, to a considerabledegree, is to be worked until it is practically stopped by theresistance of the cylinder-pressure employed. The pump so employed withthe sulphate of-coppersolution must of course be of gun-metal orbronze,to prevent injurious action of the solution upon the workingparts of the pump; but I prefer to use the air-pump K worked as anexhaust to draw in the solution, and the pump I only to put pressure onto a filled cylinder. Provision has been made, as already described, forheating the solution in the tanks. before it enters the cylinder, or atthe same or a different time that the pump is pumping in the solutionsteam may be admitted to the perforated steam pipe; but

usually the heat of .the solution itself will be sufficient to enablethe sulphate of copper to penetrate the. wood under. pressure. Thestrength of the solution which I employ is usually about five pounds ofsulphate of copper to a hundred pounds of water-a five-percent.solutionand it will take, for ordinary kinds of wood about six to ninehours for the thorough absorption of the sulphate of-copper solution ata hundred pounds pressure and a The connection from tank 0 to the lowerdome, M, is like that from tank P to the same place. At least twostopwalves, 0 0, are inserted in thepipe 0, and a waste-cock, n,interposed between them. The dome M opens into the interior-of thecylinder. If the valve 0 is shut and the valve 0 is open, the interiorof the cylinder communicates with the cock n. If a hose, n,

be coupled to this and to pipe n", and the cook a be opened, thecylinder-pressure will drive the solution very rapidly out. It would notbe desirable to open the pipes at one hundred poundsthe usualcylinder-pressure-and so by this arrangement and work of the valves andcook a the cylinder-pressure is broken to about twenty pounds, and thenthe valve o ope'ned, and the solution forced back to tank 0 throughthat, as hereinafter described. When the wood has taken a sufficientquantity of thesulphate of copper, a connection is made through thelower dome and waste-cock n by means of the hose n with a pipe, 11?,Fig. 4. Only one of the pipes which are represented by n is shown in thedrawings, Fig. 4, but both are shown in Fig. 1. This pipe may lead tothe suction side of the pump 1, in order that the cylinder may be pumpedout through the pump I and back into the tank; or it may lead directlyto the sulphate-ofcopper tank; or it may lead to a T, which T hasbranches leading to the sulphatebf-copper tank,and also to thechlorideof-barium tank, each of which branches would be controlled by astopcock. It is not usually advisable to pump back all thesulphateof-copper solution through the pump, and it is neveradvisable topump the chloride-ofbarium solution through the pump; so that in orderto get the solutions back into the tanks it is preferable to have twopipes, n", for returning the solution, and to apply to the cylinder O Oair-pressure through the air and vacuum pump K, keeping the cylinderclosed, except at the return-pipe, by which the solution will be drivenback through the lower dome, waste-cock n, and through the hose n andstand-pipe n till the pressure is broken, and then through pipe 0 to theproper tank. When the sulphate-of-copper solution has been removed fromthe cylinder and restored to the tank, it is to be tested by thehydrometer, and.

its proper working strength restored by putting in additional crystalsor, better, saturated solution from tank 0 to bring it up. Allconnection between the cylinder and the sulphateof-copper tank beingfirst shut off, the chloride-of-barium solution is now allowed and madeto run into the cylinder through the lower dome by gravity and by theair-pump K, worked as an exhaust-pump. When the chloride-of-bariumsolution has filled thecylinder, instead of pumping a portion of thesolution through the pump I, which I have found by experience to beinjurious to the pump, I apply the necessary pressure through the pump Iby pumping water into the impregnating-cylinder, and by this means canget sufficient pressure to force the chloride-ofbarium solution into thepores of the wood. This would require, if the water were introduced atthe top, the chloride-of'barium solution to be a little stronger thanwould be required for the amount of copper already forced into the wood;but when water is pumped in at the bottom it does not seem to interferewith the strength of the solution or to make it irregular in its qualityat the level of the timber in the cylinder, while water introducedanywhere would interfere with the strength and quality of the coppersolution at that level. The chloride-of-barium solution should be ofabout the strength of three pounds of crystals to a hundred of water, orthree-percent. solution, and when the wood has absorbed all thechloride-of-barium solution that it will take the cylinder is emptied ofthe solution by attaching the hose to the waste-cock n of pipe 19, asbefore, and the other end of the hose to the proper pipe, and drivingthe solution back into its tank by air-pressure, and the solution isthen restored to working strength. Heat may be imparted to thechloride-ofbarium solution in the cylinder by the admission of steamthrough the steam-pipe, as already before described with regard to thesolution of sulphate of copper. When the chloride of barium solution hasbeen entirely drawn off, the loaded cars are withdrawn from the cylinderand the timber removed from them, when the process may be repeated, asabove described. A safety-valve, t, Fig. 3, is applied on the upper dometo prevent excess of pressure, and a gage cock at it serves as a meansof ascertaining when the exhaustion of the air-pump'K has completeditswork of filling the cylinder with fluids. By use of the auxiliary tanks0 and 19, each containing a saturated solution, the strength of theworking-solutions can be more rapidly and certainly brought up, anddanger of injury to the pump I or the valves from grit avoided. By em-'ploying the air-pumpto draw in the solutions,

and by the use of water to obtain pressure in the cylinder,instead ofpumping the solutions to obtain pressure, iron pumps and pipes may beused, instead of copper or bronze; and if water-pressure only is usedthe pump I will have a force-pipe, w, branched to the tanks 0 P 0 p andto the lower dome, M, and a watersupply pipe, w, as shown in Fig. 4, andwill have no induction-connection with the tanks; but it is believedpreferable to have a copper pump, and draft and force the last part ofthe copper solution by the pump I. After breaking the. pressure,as-described, by having valve 0 or open and valve 0 or 19 shut,according to the solution, by aid of the hose-connection and waste-cocka and pipe n valves 0. or p are opened and the solution returned to theproper tank by the way it came, when the pipe 0 orp will be closedbyshutting a valve in it. Of course, the pump I, if used to pump thecoppersolution, must be washed out by pumping water afterward. It willbe seen that the combination of the dome M with the tank 0 by its properpipes, valves, cocks, and hose is just the same as its combination withthe tank P by its proper pipes, valves, cocks, and hose, and that eachof these tanks 0 and P alternates with the other, in combination withthe cylinder, and that both may be shut off from the combination withthe cylinder, and the cylinder will then only have communication throughthe dome and waste-cock a with the pit B.

It is obvious that instead of the two valves 0 0 01'19 19 with the cocksat between them, one of the valves 0 or p and the cock it might bedispensed with, and the connection of the hose a made with cock 12,- butthis would involve a common pipe for the two solutions, and be apt toinjure the valves. I therefore prefer the way described, although theprinciple of breaking pressure by a small cock placed between two valveswould be practiced in the case supposed.

The mechanical combination between one set of tanks and the rest of theapparatus is, as a mechanism, like that between the other set of tanksand the apparatus. Only one set of tanks is to be connected with thecylinder at a time. The other is to be shut off. \Vhen, therefore, theyare mentioned in the claims as tanks 0 and P, valves 0 p 8m, it must beunderstood that only one is to be opened into the cylinder at a time,and that one or both is always to be shut off. A like rule applies tothe double connections of pipe h.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim, in an apparatussubstantially as described, and desire to secure by Letters Patent ofthe United States- 1. In combination with a woodsteaming linder, O O,the two independent steam-entrances L and M,communicating directly withthe cavity of the cylinder, in combination with the perforatedfloor-pipe h, communicating, through the perforated floor-pipe, with thecavity of the cylinder at various points along the median line of thebottom of the cylinder, one of said entrances, L, being at the top ofsaid cylinder, and the other of the steamentrances, M, being at thebottom of the cylinder, for the simultaneous admission of steam to thecavity of the cylinder diametrically, but not necessarilylongitudinally, opposite each other above and below the axis of thecylinder, to prevent the unequal heating and warping of the cylinder,substantially as described.

2. In combination with the upper dome, L, of the cylinder 0 O, and withsaid cylinder and the storage-tanks O and P, the pressure and exhaustair-pump K, substantially as described.

3. In combination with the cylinder G O and the tank 0, the pipe 0, andthe valves 0 0 and intermediate coupling-cock, a, substantially as andfor the purposes described.

4. The combination of the cylinder 0 O, the perforated pipe h, thesteam-pipe s, boiler II, Water-pipe 2', pump I, and controlling-valves i8, whereby liquid or steam can be supplied at will to the interior ofthe cylinder through the perforated floor-pipe either simultaneously oralternately, substantially as and for the purposes described.

5. In combination with the cylinder 0 O, the locking-bunter F,substantially as and for the purpose described.

6. The combination of the impregnatingcylinder G 0, provided with thelocking-bunter F, and with a railway-track upon its floor, with a seriesof timber-carriages,each member of which series is provided with wheelswhich fit and ride upon rails within the cylinder, and with tongues E atone end and transverse beams c at the opposite end, whereby the forwardmember of the series is locked down upon the rails by the engagement ofthe tongues E with the locking-hunter F, and the following members alsolocked down by the engagement of the tongues E with the transverse bar 6of the preceding member, substantially as and for the purposesdescribed.

7. The combination of the cylinder 0 0, provided with rails upon itsfloor, and with the lockingbunter F, with a sectional timbertrain,-bymeans of the tongues E and transverse beams e, and of the sill-beam E ofthe rear of the last section of the train with the rails by S-hooks f,substantially as and for the purposes described.

8. The combination ofthe tank P, at a greater elevation than the top ofthe cylinder 0 O, with a pipe, 19, and dome IWI, whereby the cylindermay be filled with impregnating-fluid by the aid of gravity, and with anindependent water supply and pump, I, whereby pressure may be put uponthe contents of the cylinder without passing the impregnating-fluidthrough the pump, all substantially as and for the purposes described.

JAMES H. YOUNG.

WVitnesses:

THos. WM. CLARKE, FRED. B. DOLAN.

